Press release: Nightshelter becomes social landlord with launch of exciting new housing project

Winchester Churches Nightshelter has become a social landlord with the launch of an exciting new housing project this month.

The Winchester-based homelessness charity, which offers emergency accommodation to those experiencing homelessness in the city, has purchased its very own ‘move-on’ property, significantly extending its services to provide supported accommodation to those ready to move on from the Nightshelter.

Michele Price, Nightshelter Manager, said: “The aim of the project is to give our residents the chance to move into their own home, but with the added safety net and continuity of support from the Nightshelter, who will provide assistance to tenants on site.”

She added: “The Nightshelter has always provided a temporary home to those who stay with us, however moving on into rented accommodation is a big step and can be extremely daunting for those who have experienced homelessness. As a social landlord we will be able to provide affordable, quality rental accommodation and give our tenants some valuable experience of the rental sector, to help equip them for fully independent living in the future. Our new ‘move-on’ house will help reduce the likelihood of someone slipping back into homelessness.”

The Nightshelter, which has 30 years’ experience of providing accommodation to Hampshire’s homeless, began offering trial ‘move-on’ accommodation in 2015 via a rental property. The success of the trial meant that, after receiving a £500,000 bequest from the military charity the Deflog VQ Trust, the Nightshelter took the decision to purchase its own property. The new house brings the total number of affordable ‘move-on’ bed spaces provided by the Nightshelter to eight.

Mrs Price continued: “This is a major step for a small charity like the Nightshelter. With funding cuts still hitting the homelessness sector resulting in a reduction in ‘move on’ bed spaces, and affordable rental accommodation in Winchester almost impossible to come by, we are directly tackling local homelessness by providing a secure route into independent living via our supported accommodation. The hope is that we can continue to expand our services like this in the future.”